Leave the Office on Time

Leaving Ready for the Rest of Your Day
Here's what you can do, on a typical weekday, to leave on time when you choose to:

1. Tell everyone that you have a personal commitment at 5:30 that evening. If you have a
child you could say that your child is in need of important parental assistance. Schedule
something for 5:30 that evening if it helps.

2. Mark on your calendar that you'll be leaving at five.

3. Sleep well the night before.

4. Eat a light lunch.

5. Strike a bargain with yourself at the start of the day, in late morning, in early
afternoon, and in late afternoon.

6. View any intrusion as merely part of the workday.

7. Once striking the bargain with yourself, don't add more items at the last minute.

8. Imagine how you'll feel when you leave right at closing time (however, there is no
reason for you to be staring at the clock for the last 45 minutes).

9. Ask a co-worker to walk you out at closing time.

Leaving the Office, part 2

In the first month when you've decided that each Tuesday will be a normal eight or nine hour workday and nothing more, you will automatically begin to be more focused about what you want to get done on Tuesdays. Almost imperceptibly you begin to parcel out your time during the day more judiciously. So, at midday stop and assess what you've done and what else you'd like to get done.

Near the end of the day assess what more you realistically can get done and what's best to leave for subsequent days.

Recruit Others: Once you've solidly made the decision to leave on time, say on Tuesdays, every cell in your body works in unison to help you accomplish your proclamation. A natural, internal alignment starts in motion. Your internal cylinders fire in harmony with what it takes for you to have a buoyant, productive work day on Tuesday and leave on time. To ensure that you get out on time, let others know about your plans.

Strike a bargain with yourself. Suppose it's 2:45 p.m. and there are three more items you'd like to accomplish before the day is over. Ask yourself: "What would it take for me to feel good about ending work on time today?" This phrase gives you the freedom to feel good about leaving the office on time because you struck a bargain with yourself wherein you said exactly what you needed to accomplish in order to leave on time and feel good about it.

Re-strike the Bargain. Suppose you have three items on your plate that you want to finish so that you can feel good about leaving on time. Then the boss drops a bomb on your desk late in the day. Strike a new bargain with yourself, given the prevailing circumstances. Your new bargain may include simply making sufficient headway on the project that's been dropped in your lap, or accomplishing two of your previous tasks and X percent of this new project.

Leave Work Ready for Life

When you consistently work longer hours or take work home from the office you begin to forget what it's like to have a free week night and eventually a free weekend. To sustain the habit of leaving work on time, start with a small step.

Leave without guilt. Hereafter decide that on, say, every Tuesday you will stop working on time and take no extra work home with you. After freeing up Tuesdays for an entire month, perhaps add Thursdays. In another month add Mondays, and in the fourth month add Wednesdays.